Well, I traded in my HE-400 for the HE-500 just today. I've been meaning to get the HE-500 for a LONG time, but with the launch of the HE-400, I just couldn't resist to side-track the HE-500. My main concerns with the HE-400 were the mids. I'm very familiar with the HE-500 as i've heard it many times, and because of this knowledge, the HE-400 just seemed under-performing for my tastes. The mids in the HE-500 are just that much more engaging and as an avid Jazz listener, it's hard not to choose the HE-500 over the 400.

Narrator: In this town, Headfi... Were the pricier headphones get pricier, and were artist endorsed headphones rule the streets. There is one headphone destinied to bring back the balance between cost and sound quality...

SR-009: "I don't know who this (hifi)man is, but I want him and his frequency graph, DEAD!"

Narrator: Every flagship wants a bite of him...

TH-900: "How can such a lowlife touch us, the expensives?"

T1: "He is never gonna replace me! NEVER!"

HD800: "No one leaves here without a treble-spike...."

Narrator: He is... HE-500!

*Explosion*

HE-500: "I didn't choose this... I didn't want to be a hero..."

Cue soft piano music

Modded T50RP: "HE-500 this place need you. I need you. Before I met you I was a lowlife ortho, but you showed me, you showed all of Headfi, that this place can be something different."

*Explosion, HE-500 walking away*

Dramatic high paced movie music

???: "He is no match for me... Don't worry SR-009, I've dealt with his kind before..."

Modded T50RP: "No! Don't touch me! Leave me alone!"

Empty streets. HE-500 walks in front of a building.

HE-500: "Set her free! It's me you want! Come out you coward!"

Voice from building: "So, you've come at last, HE-500...."

HE-500: "I know this frequency response... You are..."

LCD-2 walks out of the building

HE-500: "My nemesis..."

Evil laughter from LCD-2

Narrator: THIS SUMMER, a headphone world you have never experienced. HE-500, with help from his brothers HE-400....

HE-400: YEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAA, did someone drop the BASS on this place or what!?"

...and HE-6...

HE-6: "Aren't there any bar in this god forsaken place with power enough to drive me...?"

Narrator: ...will he be the one headphone to save Headfi?

Epic fighting between HE-500 and LCD-2

LCD-2: "You'll never kill my bass!"

HE-500: "You're just angry because you can never get any ladies without a mild treble-spike"

Narrator: In this town, Headfi... Were the pricier headphones get pricier, and were artist endorsed headphones rule the streets. There is one headphone destinied to bring back the balance between cost and sound quality...

SR-009: "I don't know who this (hifi)man is, but I want him and his frequency graph, DEAD!"

Narrator: Every flagship wants a bite of him...

TH-900: "How can such a lowlife touch us, the expensives?"

T1: "He is never gonna replace me! NEVER!"

HD800: "No one leaves here without a treble-spike...."

Narrator: He is... HE-500!

*Explosion*

HE-500: "I didn't choose this... I didn't want to be a hero..."

Cue soft piano music

Modded T50RP: "HE-500 this place need you. I need you. Before I met you I was a lowlife ortho, but you showed me, you showed all of Headfi, that this place can be something different."

*Explosion, HE-500 walking away*

Dramatic high paced movie music

???: "He is no match for me... Don't worry SR-009, I've dealt with his kind before..."

Modded T50RP: "No! Don't touch me! Leave me alone!"

Empty streets. HE-500 walks in front of a building.

HE-500: "Set her free! It's me you want! Come out you coward!"

Voice from building: "So, you've come at last, HE-500...."

HE-500: "I know this frequency response... You are..."

LCD-2 walks out of the building

HE-500: "My nemesis..."

Evil laughter from LCD-2

Narrator: THIS SUMMER, a headphone world you have never experienced. HE-500, with help from his brothers HE-400....

HE-400: YEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAA, did someone drop the BASS on this place or what!?"

...and HE-6...

HE-6: "Aren't there any bar in this god forsaken place with power enough to drive me...?"

Narrator: ...will he be the one headphone to save Headfi?

Epic fighting between HE-500 and LCD-2

LCD-2: "You'll never kill my bass!"

HE-500: "You're just angry because you can never get any ladies without a mild treble-spike"

Narrator: In this town, Headfi... Were the pricier headphones get pricier, and were artist endorsed headphones rule the streets. There is one headphone destinied to bring back the balance between cost and sound quality...

SR-009: "I don't know who this (hifi)man is, but I want him and his frequency graph, DEAD!"

Narrator: Every flagship wants a bite of him...

TH-900: "How can such a lowlife touch us, the expensives?"

T1: "He is never gonna replace me! NEVER!"

HD800: "No one leaves here without a treble-spike...."

Narrator: He is... HE-500!

*Explosion*

HE-500: "I didn't choose this... I didn't want to be a hero..."

Cue soft piano music

Modded T50RP: "HE-500 this place need you. I need you. Before I met you I was a lowlife ortho, but you showed me, you showed all of Headfi, that this place can be something different."

*Explosion, HE-500 walking away*

Dramatic high paced movie music

???: "He is no match for me... Don't worry SR-009, I've dealt with his kind before..."

Modded T50RP: "No! Don't touch me! Leave me alone!"

Empty streets. HE-500 walks in front of a building.

HE-500: "Set her free! It's me you want! Come out you coward!"

Voice from building: "So, you've come at last, HE-500...."

HE-500: "I know this frequency response... You are..."

LCD-2 walks out of the building

HE-500: "My nemesis..."

Evil laughter from LCD-2

Narrator: THIS SUMMER, a headphone world you have never experienced. HE-500, with help from his brothers HE-400....

HE-400: YEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAA, did someone drop the BASS on this place or what!?"

...and HE-6...

HE-6: "Aren't there any bar in this god forsaken place with power enough to drive me...?"

Narrator: ...will he be the one headphone to save Headfi?

Epic fighting between HE-500 and LCD-2

LCD-2: "You'll never kill my bass!"

HE-500: "You're just angry because you can never get any ladies without a mild treble-spike"

The tangling of the stock cable really annoys me. I feel it easier to break also. I will think about all those cable recs (if my budget permits). Btw, Which tubes you use for Lyr? I am using either Schiit 6N1Ps or stock 6B27 tubes.